Cousins was asked Wednesday about the toughest challenge the Vikings defense presents in the daily confines of training camp practices. His following tale was telling about a defense returning 10 of 11 starters from a year ago.

“The first thing that comes to mind is their continuity,” Cousins said. “If I make a check, they make a check because they’re all on the same page. One time during OTAs, and I believe you all were here for this day, I saw they were bringing a pressure. I made a check to have an answer. Well then they checked to get out of the pressure, so I was left stuck with a play that was not very good against their max zone coverage.”

Opponents from Aaron Rodgers to Peyton Manning have previously lauded the Vikings’ ability to disguise and/or change their pressure or coverage assignments on the fly. However, it’s becoming second nature even when they’re not supposed to, according to Cousins.

“I went over to coach Zimmer afterward and said ‘Tell me a little bit about what is going on there,'” Cousins continued. “And he said well they’re not supposed to do that. They were supposed to leave the play on, but they’ve been playing together for so long. They’re so dialed in that even if the play clock is running down or you’re getting your check out quickly, they know with one hand signal or one word, everyone knows what to do. I think that’s the hard part. Because that’s — when you have a brand new quarterback and brand new offensive coordinator — we can’t say the same thing on offense.

“The continuity, in addition to all the talent they have, I think helps them play at a high level. “

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Ben Goessling is in his sixth year covering the Vikings, having joined the Star Tribune in 2017 after four seasons at ESPN and one at the Pioneer Press. He is an Apple Valley High School and University of Minnesota graduate. Follow him at @GoesslingStrib.

Mark Craig has covered the NFL for 23 years, and the Vikings since 2003 for the Star Tribune. He is one of 48 Pro Football Hall of Fame selectors. Follow him at @markcraignfl.

Andrew Krammer joined the Star Tribune in July 2016 after three years covering the Vikings for 1500 ESPN. He is a 2013 graduate of the University of Minnesota. Follow him at @Andrew_Krammer.